1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to tracking and emergency signaling devices and, more particularly, to a personal safety signaling apparatus and system capable of being difficult to detect upon a child.
2. Description of the Related Art
According to the National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway and Thrown-away Children there are nearly 800,000 children reported missing each year (more than 2,000 per day). 58,200 children are abducted by non-family members. 115 children are the victims of the most serious, most long-term abductions (stereotypical kidnappings), of which 56% are recovered alive, 40% are killed. 203,900 children are the victims of family abductions.
There is a fairly broad awareness of this issue and a number of programs have been set up to assist in finding missing children by enlisting the help of the public. One such program is the AMBER alert system supported by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).
The AMBER plan was created in 1996 as a powerful legacy to 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was kidnapped and murdered in Arlington, Tex. Credited with saving 31 lives since its inception, AMBER Alerts are currently transmitted over broadcast medium to licensed television and radio stations, and cable systems using the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The EAS, operated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), is primarily used to issue severe weather alerts and for other emergency purposes. AMBER Alerts are also transmitted via electronic highway billboard signs in select areas.
There is also an online AMBER Alert systems such as the “AOL AMBER Alerts”, program which utilizes the Internet to expand the broadcast network that helps locate and rescue abducted children. AOL announced that 62 of the 63 states, counties and cities that currently have AMBER Alert systems in place (as of Sep. 30, 2003) have agreed to participate in the AOL AMBER Alerts program. As a result, official AMBER Alerts texts as issued by law enforcement, will be available as an “opt-in” feature beginning in early November 2003, and will be targeted to members based on the states in which they reside. The texts will run over the new “AOL Alerts & Reminders” product, which will allow members to choose to receive the alerts immediately on their computer screens, via email, mobile phones, or paging devices.
The AMBER Alert system goes through local law enforcement agencies and the information must be verified before broadcasting to all media outlets so as not to waste these valuable resources which are generously given to help the few children who are in true danger by their abductors. The process of vetting out improper claims and getting all of the information necessary to go on the air with the amber alert can generally take several hours. This time frame is too slow in the context of finding a missing child where a few hours or less may be all the time they have left. The Amber Alert system must be selective since it commits a large amount of broadcast resources for a few days. The AMBER Alert system is a great augmentation to the present invention.
In the related art, many methods for emergency tracking and rescue signaling are known. For example, the following patents disclose various monitoring and tracking systems:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,905,461, issued in the name of Neher;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,936,529, issued in the name of Reisman et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,48,221, issued in the name of Weller;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,828,306, issued in the name of Curran;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,814,751, issued in the name of Hawkins et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,275, issued in the name of Ross et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,939,988, issued in the name of Neyhart;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,936,529, issued in the name of Reisman et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,014,080, issued in the name of Layson, Jr.;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,166,642, issued in the name of Farshid;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,169,484 B1, issued in the name of Schuchman et al.; and
U.S. Pat. No. 5,525,967, issued in the name of Azizi et al.
Further, the following patents describe an emergency signaling unit and alarm system designed to be carried on the person: U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,095 issued in the name of Shields; U.S. Pat. No. 4,468,656 issued in the name of Clifford et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,160 issued in the name of Cataldo; and, U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,591 issued in the name of Tamayo discloses a personal emergency response communication apparatus for pagers.
Also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,246 issued in the name of Yokev et al. describes a pager with reverse paging facility and a mobile receiver.
And again, U.S. Pat. No. 4,467,142 issued in the name of Rupp et al. discloses an automatic dialing system for transmitting emergency calls from persons requiring assistance.
Consequently, a need has been felt for providing an apparatus and method which overcomes provides effective, location specific signaling and emergency tracking in a portable manner.